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Friday, June 23, 2017

23 June - Blogs I'm Following 1 of 2

PHOTO: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE *Bennett Seftel, Cipher Brief:* *U.S. Running Out of Options in Afghanistan* The U.S. war in Afghanistan has entered into its 16th year with no end in sight. With the battle against the Taliban essentially mired in a stalemate and the Afghan government failing to address endemic corruption and countrywide economic woes, there appear to be no good options for moving forward. “Today the Trump Administration faces the choice of losing quickly by withdrawing from Afghanistan, losing slowly by staying at the current, clearly inadequate levels of commit...more »

"There exists no more difficult art than living. For other arts and sciences, numerous teachers are to be found everywhere. Even young people believe that they have acquired these in such a way, that they can teach them to others. Throughout the whole of life, one must continue to learn to live and, what will amaze you even more, throughout life one must learn to die." - Seneca

*"The Sane Society"* by Erich Fromm “The sick individual finds himself at home with all other similarly sick individuals. The whole culture is geared to this kind of pathology. The result is that the average individual does not experience the separateness and isolation the fully schizophrenic person feels. He feels at ease among those who suffer from the same deformation; in fact, it is the fully sane person who feels isolated in the insane society - and he may suffer so much from the incapacity to communicate that it is he who may become psychotic. In the context of this study the...more »

BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:40 A.M.) – The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) drove back a counter-attack from the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Raqqa, Friday, following a series of intense clashes. The Islamic State terrorists had made gains throughout the city after pushing back against the advancing SDF and coalition forces on Thursday. However, […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

I spent about an hour or so, spread over a couple of phone calls, with Jon Ossoff right after he declared. I was impressed with his energy and verve, his dedication to oppose Trump and the House Republicans and his eagerness to do what’s necessary to win. He didn’t come across as a Bernie Sanders or a Pramila Jayapal or Elizabeth Warren but he did come across as kind of progressive. Blue America endorsed him, I contributed some money to his campaign and we started raising money for him. It didn’t take long before I started regretting it. It wasn’t even that he started inching inex...more »

*Robert Farley* *Security, Americas* A warship like no other. In May 1938, the U.S. Navy commissioned the aircraft carrier USS *Enterprise*, the seventh ship to bear the name in American service. The second of three sisters, *Enterprise* made a central—perhaps *the* central—contribution to the war effort in 1942. The U.S. Navy began 1942 with six fleet carriers (excluding the small *Ranger*, which served in the Atlantic). Over the course of the year, Japanese aircraft and submarines would sink four of those carriers and put a fifth (USS *Saratoga*) out of action for long periods...more »

*Jared Keller, Task and Purpose* *Security, Middle East* Low-tech options are helping some of the most advanced warfighters on the planet. Less than a month after the September 11 terror attacks, combat controllers with the Air Force Special Tactics Squadron and Army 5th Special Forces Group’s Operational Detachment Alpha 595 were among the first U.S. troops to invade Afghanistan. Deployed from Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in neighboring Uzbekistan on October 10, the mission — codenamed Task Force Dagger — was simple: Link up with Northern Alliance fighters led by Soviet-trained for...more »

*Zachary Keck* *Security, Asia* And it could create big problems with India. While China’s actions in the South China Sea have garnered more headlines, Beijing has quietly been pursuing another land grab in the Himalayan Mountains. “Bite by kilometer-size bite, China is eating away at India’s Himalayan borderlands,” Brahma Chellaney, one of India’s foremost strategic thinkers, warned in a recent op-ed. “For decades, Asia’s two giants have fought a bulletless war for territory along their high-altitude border. Recently, though, China has become more assertive, underscoring the ne...more »

*Warfare History Network* *Security, * WWII History Magazine contributor Christopher Miskimon shares with us his list of history's long shots and the most heroic last stands. *The Siege of the Alamo – February 23 – March 6, 1836* This famous battle pitted rebellious Texans, some of whom were Americans, against a Mexican army sent to crush their nascent independence movement. Mexican leader General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna laid siege to the small mission, bombarding it for days and having several small skirmishes before a final assault on the night of March 5-6. All the combata...more »

*Emma M. Ashford* *Security, Middle East* [image: A Kurdish fighter from the People's Protection Units (YPG) looks at a smoke after an coalition air strike in Raqqa.] The United States has no viable long-term strategy for resolving or exiting the civil war. On Sunday, a U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down one of Bashar al-Assad’s warplanes attacking U.S.-allied Syrian forces, drawing the United States deeper into that conflict. Raising tensions with Russia and potentially placing American troops in danger, this action was just another in a long line of tactical decisions which increa...more »

Donald Trump also returned to a popular campaign theme, insisting that US intervetion in the middle east has caused nothing but harm The post BOMBSHELL: Trump told Saudis to stop funding terror appeared first on The Duran.

*Photo:* Taliban new leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is seen in an undated photograph, posted on a Taliban twitter feed on May 25, 2016, and identified separately by several Taliban officials, who declined be named. Social Media/File Photo *DW*: *Afghanistan: Taliban leader wants US and NATO troops out* The Taliban head in Afghanistan has issued a statement demanding US and NATO troops get out of the country. But he also indicated that constructive diplomatic relations could be possible if his demands were met. Marking the Eid al-Fitr festival at the end of the Muslim holy mo...more »

Washington Post confirms Trump Dossier caused Russiagate, triggering demands within an Obama administration humiliated at being bested by Russia in Syria for a massive showdown with Russia. The post How the Trump Dossier and the Syrian Crisis caused Russiagate appeared first on The Duran.

People watch Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as he appears on a screen during a live broadcast to speak to his supporters at an event marking Resistance and Liberation Day in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, May 25, 2017. REUTERS/Hassan Abdallah *Reuters:* *Hezbollah says future Israel war could draw fighters from Iran, Iraq, elsewhere* Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that a future war waged by Israel against Syria or Lebanon could draw thousands of fighters from countries including Iran and Iraq. His comments indicated that the same array of Irani...more »

Climate Depot has posted details about an academic paper focussing on a search for a gender neutral glacier???? What the academic retards will do to ensure their funding continues and if that’s what’s coming out of Western Universities, then heaven … Continue reading →

General view of the Kaaba at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia September 9, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File Photo *Reuters:* *Saudi security forces foil attack on Grand Mosque in Mecca: state TV* Saudi security forces foiled an attack on the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca on Friday, state television Al-Ekhbariya and Al Arabiya TV reported. Al Arabiya said security forces had found two groups of terrorists in Mecca and a third group in the city of Jeddah. The foiled attack targetted worshipers at the mosque, it said. Neither Al Arabiya nor Al-Ekhbariya gave ...more »

The biggest electoral battle progressives have coming up is to help the Democrats win back the House, something that would likely stymie Trump’s toxic and destructive agenda. Sometimes the DCCC makes that next to impossible, recruiting “ex”-Republican conservatives-- like Brad Ashford-- and their newest kick: anti-Choice Democrats or worthless slugs who fit some identity politics formula. But there is no other ballgame right now-- it’s the House or bust. That’s why primaries are so, so crucial-- keeping the DCCC slugs recruited by anti-progressive fanatics Cheri Bustos and Denny H...more »

*A Canadian 3RCR Battlegroup sniper walks* *up a hill to his position during a mission* *near Kabul, **Afghanistan, in 2003.* *(Stephen Thorne/Canadian Press) * Dear Mr. Prime Minister: I am writing this open letter to you to inquire about the shocking news that *Canadian soldiers are killing indigenous fighters in Iraq. I refer to the recent news story about a Canadian "sniper" killing an "ISIS" fighter in Iraq. Did Parliament ever authorize the combat mission that this soldier is being publicly praised for engaging in?* Even the CBC says that the formal mission statement was ...more »

*A Canadian 3RCR Battlegroup sniper walks* *up a hill to his position during a mission* *near Kabul, **Afghanistan, in 2003.* *(Stephen Thorne/Canadian Press) * Dear Mr. Prime Minister: I am writing this open letter to you to inquire about the shocking news that *Canadian soldiers are killing indigenous fighters in Iraq. I refer to the recent news story about a Canadian "sniper" killing an "ISIS" fighter in Iraq. Did Parliament ever authorize the combat mission that this soldier is being publicly praised for engaging in?* Even the CBC says that the formal mission statement was to...more »

Courtesy of Think Progress: *On Friday, CNN’s Alisyn Camerota asked Conway about the Post report. * *“What about this new reporting that there are three dozen high-level officials that say they can connect President Putin with giving instructions to hack the DNC computers and to plant fake stories — what is the current White House doing about this?” Camerota asked. * *Conway responded by asserting that Russian hackers weren’t the only people “interfering in our democracy” last year. * *“Well Alisyn, the president has said previously, and he stands by that — particularly as preside...more »

The "Atlas Shrugged" author called government handouts "immoral," but there is evidence that she accepted Social Security benefits in her later years — and that it was consistent with her worldview to do so.

From *Wikipedia:* A Twist of Sand is a 1968 British adventure film directed by Don Chaffey and starring Richard Johnson, Jeremy Kemp, Honor Blackman and Peter Vaughan[1] based on the novel by Geoffrey Jenkins. *Read more* ....more »

[image: johnny-depp-threatens-trump-assassination-then-apologizes] One week after baseball-field shooter James Hodgkinson tried to kill as many Republicans “as possible,” Johhny Depp joked Thursday at the Gladstonbury Festival in Somerset, England about assassinating President Trump. He has since apologized, but should his apology matter?

“Star cluster Westerlund 1 is home to some of the largest and most massive stars known. It is headlined by the star Westerlund 1-26, a red supergiant star so big that if placed in the center of our Solar System, it would extend out past the orbit of Jupiter. Additionally, the young star cluster is home to 3 other red supergiants, 6 yellow hypergiant stars, 24 Wolf-Rayet stars, and several even-more unusual stars that continue to be studied. *Click image for larger size.* Westerlund 1 is relatively close-by for a star cluster at a distance of 15,000 light years, giving astronomers a ...more »

*“In A Dark Time...”* by Chet Raymo “I've quoted a few of these lines before, from a poem by Charles Simic: "It's like fishing in the dark. Our thoughts are the hooks, Our heart the raw bait. We cast the line past all believing Into the night sky Until it's lost to sight." In a sense, that's the story of my life: a long love affair with the night sky. My first book of popular science was “365 Starry Nights”. My first book of personal prose was “The Soul of the Night: An Astronomical Pilgrimage”. “An Intimate Look at the Night Sky” followed much later, but every book in between, fic...more »

X22 Report, “Everything Is In Place, The Fed Unwind Is The Last Step, This Is The Warning” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r83teVgA4Kk *Related followup report:* X22 Report, “With Every Passing Day The Deep State Is Losing Control, The End Is Approaching”

“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? During the life of any heart this line keeps changing place; sometimes it is squeezed one way by exuberant evil and sometimes it shifts to allow enough space for good to flourish. One and the same human being is, at various ages, under various circumstances, a totally different human being. A...more »

Patrick Cockburn, The Independent:* Isis may be leaderless and facing defeat in Mosul, but the jihadis will fight on* *Terror group has always been able to take root and grow out of chaos and war – and will continue to wreak havoc around the world* The blowing up by Isis of the al-Nuri mosque in Mosul marks a decisive defeat for the caliphate declared by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the same mosque three years ago. Isis will continue fighting as a guerrilla force, but it will be the end of a state once the size of Great Britain and fielding a military force more powerful than many memb...more »

*Jacob Heilbrunn* *Politics, * [image: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks before signing the “VA Accountability Act” in the East Room of the White House in Washington.] Jacob Heilbrunn interviews Daniel McCarthy about Trump’s latest challenges. *Editor's Note**: In our latest Facebook Live interview (please like our **Facebook page** to see more of these events) **Jacob Heilbrunn**, editor of the National Interest, and **Daniel McCarthy**, editor-at-large of the American Conservative, discuss Donald Trump’s political risks in dealing with Russia, health care and also whether the ...more »

The Maori All Blacks may have lost to the British & Irish Lions on Saturday, but their haka before the game was a thing of beauty The haka is performed as a way of intimidating the opposition and laying down the challenge, with many believing that the war dance has the power to win a match before a ball has even been tossed. The very first haka performed by a New Zealand rugby side can be traced back to 1888, with various versions being used over the years since. The All Blacks have taken the haka to a more psychological level in recent times, with their slow movements and piercin...more »

A new theme emerging out of the IPCC Fifth Report was the emphasis on selling the risk of man-made climate change. The idea is that scientists should not advocate policy, but do have a responsibility to convince the public of the risks resulting from burning fossil fuels. An article illustrates how this approach shapes recent […]

The lead guitarist of U2, known as The Edge- real name David Evans- is more than a musician. He’s also the father of a child who survived leukemia at age 7 (she’s recovered and 19 years old now). Since then, he’s been interested in health and cancer and especially in angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). While

*Reuters*: *Arab states issue ultimatum to Qatar: close Jazeera, curb ties with Iran* Four Arab states that imposed a boycott on Qatar have issued an ultimatum to Doha to close Al Jazeera television, curb ties with Iran, shut a Turkish base and pay reparations, demands so far reaching it would appear to be hard for Doha to comply. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have sent a 13-point list of demands apparently aimed at dismantling their tiny but wealthy neighbor's two decade-old interventionist foreign policy which has incensed them. Qatar did not immedi...more »

Among the big winners of the general election are the wave of new blogs collectively dubbed as the "alt-left". You know who I'm talking about. The Canary, Skwawkbox, Novara, Evolve Politics and Another Angry Voice have been singled out by the mainstream as the authentic voices of the new socialism that has seized hold of the Labour Party and powered it to its highest number of votes for 20 years. Despite these blogs being around for some time (AAV since 2010, Skwawkbox 2012) they constitute part of the third age of blogging, which saw outsiders seemingly appear from nowhere...more »

*Al Jazeera*:* Iraq PM: Mosul liberation to be announced in a few days* *Al-Abadi made the announcement as government troops were pushing into Bab al-Beed neighbourhood in Mosul's Old City.* Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said that the "liberation" of the city of Mosul from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL - also known as ISIS) will be announced in a few days. "It's a matter of a few days and we will announce the total liberation of Mosul," Abadi told reporters on Thursday, according to Baghdad-based Sumaria TV. The announcement came as Iraqi forces were conti...more »

.@POTUS on why he wanted former FBI Dir. James Comey to believe there were tapes of their conversations pic.twitter.com/pCuibM5Z6k — FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) June 23, 2017 Courtesy of Salon: *“When he found out that there may be tapes out there — whether it’s governmental tapes or anything else, and who knows — I think his story may have changed,” Trump said. “You’ll have to take a look at that because then he has to tell what actually took place at the events. And my story didn’t change — my story was always a straight story, my story always was the truth. But you’ll have ...more »

It is morally impossible to support the freedom of Palestine without supporting the freedom of Donbass. The post QUDS DAY: Palestine and Donbass–two peoples suffering under a similar occupation appeared first on The Duran.

I was checking up on the meaning of the phrase “Granite-wash” that is the source rock for natural gas in Oklahoma and Texas. It seems that some deep drilling was done years ago and the hole stopped in molten sulphur … Continue reading →

[image: charity-watchdog-group-calls-conservative-groups-hate-groups] GuideStar, which calls itself a nonpartisan and nonpolitical watchdog of nonprofits, has exposed itself as part of the progressive Left.

[image: the-passing-of-the-pelosi-era] The Pelosi factor has been a drag on Democrats in all four of the special elections the party has lost since Trump's November triumph. Prediction: Democrats will not go into the 2018 Congressional elections with San Fran Nan as the party's face and future.

[image: surveillance-state-employee-violated-law-hundreds-of-times-with-illegal-searches] A heavily redacted report from 2014 released Wednesday shows that a senior security database program officer at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) routinely violated both department policy and the law by performing illegal surveillance database searches more than 600 times, among other violations.

[image: irs-fails-to-notify-americans-whose-social-security-numbers-are-used-by-illegal-aliens] A report from the treasury inspector general for tax administration (TIGTA) stated that IRS procedures are not sufficient to identify all employment identity theft victims.

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (0:20 A.M.) – Over the past 48 hours, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has killed two leading Islamist commanders amid clashes in the embattled Jobar neighborhood on the eastern perimeter of Damascus city. With the SAA’s 105th Brigade of the Republican Guard intensifying its operations in the northeastern part of Jobar, a new […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

[image: undefined] After the crown prince of the Austia-Hungary monarchy Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot and killed in Sarajevo the government of Austria waited three weeks to issue a 10 point ultimatum to Serbia which it held responsible for the incident. At least three of those points concerned the suppression of "propaganda against Austria-Hungary" and the Austrian Monarchy by private and state entities. It demanded a response within two days: Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary, commented that he had "never before seen one State address to another independent Stat...more »

[image: undefined] It’s a helluva question: “Tell me how this ends.” It was a good question in 2003 when then Major General David Petraeus asked it as the United States invaded Iraq, an ironic one in 2011 when the US withdrew, worth revisiting in 2014 when the US reinvaded Iraq, and again in 2017 as Islamic State appears to be on its way out. Problem is we still don’t have a good answer. It could be Groundhog Day all over again in Iraq, or it could be worse. *Groundhog Day* The Groundhog Day argument, that little has changed from 2003 until now, is quite persuasive. Just look at t...more »

*Robert A. Manning* *Security, Asia* By demonstrating goodwill, Seoul would have the moral high ground, even if Pyongyang does not accept Seoul’s hand of friendship and cooperation. As South Korean President Moon Jae-in gears up for a June 29–30 summit with Donald Trump, his ardent desire is to engage North Korea and revive the “sunshine” policies of his progressive predecessors, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, could be a major source of friction. This sentiment comes at a moment when the United States and the international community are seeking to toughen UN National Security Cou...more »

*-by Noah* For those who don’t remember, Philando Castile was a Missouri-born American citizen who was shot at, 7 times, while sitting in his car, by St. Anthony, Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez back on July 6, 2016. Castile had been stopped by the police in a traffic stop as local police were looking for a pair of robbery suspects. Castile was cooperating with the police and he was merely returning home from having dinner and doing some grocery shopping. The crime reached national notoriety, not because it was unusual, but because its immediate aftermath was streamed li...more »

*FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017Look who's catching up:* Long ago and far away, we first discussed the massive dumbness of the morning show, Fox & Friends. At the time, it struck us as the dumbest news program ever broadcast. It was while we were watching Brian Kilmeade on the Fox & Friends of that era that we were first struck by an unfortunate thought: Performers on these programs are being paid amounts of money they would *never* receive in any other walk of life. For that reason, these people *never* rock the boat on such shows. In large part, they're being paid for their obedience to t...more »

*“The Dangerous World of Logical Fallacies” * by Mario Livio “Thinkers in disciplines ranging from mathematics to economics, and from science to philosophy, attempt to construct theorems, theories, or scenarios, that have at least a fighting chance of being correct. Since in many cases one of the chief guides is logical reasoning, the ability to spot fallacies is an essential skill. In this piece I will briefly discuss a few such potential traps, and I hope to describe a few more in a future blog entry. One fairly common fallacy is known as the "post-hoc" (Latin for "after this") ... more »

*"Like, Should and Will"* by The Zman People who enjoy quantitative analysis of current events and social policy tend to get irritated by the fact that most people don’t know what “average” means. In fact, most people don’t know the difference between the words “some”, “all” and “many”, treating them as if they are synonyms. The easiest way to activate the nearest outrage machine is to say something like “Some women….” and you can be sure a local gal will clutch her pearls and tell you she is nothing like whatever you described. It’s madness. Something similar happens to people whe...more »

*Politico:* *Pelosi's Democratic critics plot to replace her* A dozen unhappy House Democrats met Thursday afternoon to discuss if — and how — they can replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi as minority leader. Led by Reps. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), at least some in the group believe Pelosi has to go in order for Democrats to have a chance to win the House back in Nov. 2018. Ryan unsuccessfully challenged Pelosi for party leader back in November. “There are many more people today, even from November, who are much more vocal, who have approached us an...more »

*Washington Times*: *Senate announces probe of Loretta Lynch behavior in 2016 election* The Senate Judiciary Committee has opened a probe into former Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s efforts to shape the FBI’s investigation into 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the committee’s chairman announced Friday. In a letter to Ms. Lynch, the committee asks her to detail the depths of her involvement in the FBI’s investigation, including whether she ever assured Clinton confidantes that the probe wouldn’t “push too deeply into the matter.” Fired FBI Director James B. ...more »

In my last blog, I mentioned that the wealthiest 1% of the U.S. population now holds 71% of all the wealth in the country. There is a similar pattern in other capitalist countries. In other words, everbody else - 99% of the population - is getting poorer. And, since that wealthiest group, for the most part, doesn't pay income tax, then government income is going to be seriously reduced at a time of great need. And it gets much worse. If 99% of the people are poorer, who is going to be able to buy the products produced by the wealthy? Capitalism, very soon, will have impoverished th...more »

By Paul Homewood https://uk.news.yahoo.com/people-dont-believe-global-warming-not-theyre-stupid-162546273.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma Katharine Hayhoe thinks she knows why some of us don’t believe in global warming – apparently we don’t care! Well Katharine, here are another ten reasons you forgot: 1) We don’t trust climate scientists. The Climategate emails revealed just how untrustworthy the climate establishment has become. We […]

[image: undefined] On June 21 the editorial board of the Washington Post, long a propaganda instrument believed to be in cahoots with the CIA and the deep state, called for more sanctions and more pressure on Russia. One second’s thought is sufficient to realize how bad this advice is. The orchestrated demonization of Russia and its president began in the late summer of 2013 when the British Parliament and Russian diplomacy blocked the neoconned Obama regime’s planned invasion of Syria. An example had to be made of Russia before other countries began standing up to Washington. Whil...more »

[image: undefined] On June 21 the editorial board of the Washington Post, long a propaganda instrument believed to be in cahoots with the CIA and the deep state, called for more sanctions and more pressure on Russia. One second’s thought is sufficient to realize how bad this advice is. The orchestrated demonization of Russia and its president began in the late summer of 2013 when the British Parliament and Russian diplomacy blocked the neoconned Obama regime’s planned invasion of Syria. An example had to be made of Russia before other countries began standing up to Washington. Whil...more »

[image: undefined] On June 21 the editorial board of the Washington Post, long a propaganda instrument believed to be in cahoots with the CIA and the deep state, called for more sanctions and more pressure on Russia. One second’s thought is sufficient to realize how bad this advice is. The orchestrated demonization of Russia and its president began in the late summer of 2013 when the British Parliament and Russian diplomacy blocked the neoconned Obama regime’s planned invasion of Syria. An example had to be made of Russia before other countries began standing up to Washington. Whil...more »

[image: undefined] On June 21 the editorial board of the Washington Post, long a propaganda instrument believed to be in cahoots with the CIA and the deep state, called for more sanctions and more pressure on Russia. One second’s thought is sufficient to realize how bad this advice is. The orchestrated demonization of Russia and its president began in the late summer of 2013 when the British Parliament and Russian diplomacy blocked the neoconned Obama regime’s planned invasion of Syria. An example had to be made of Russia before other countries began standing up to Washington. Whil...more »

Courtesy of Newsweek: *U.S. President Donald Trump was elected vowing to get tough on “radical Islamic terrorism.” He has tried to implement a travel ban barring people from six Muslim-majority nations from entering the U.S. and has tweeted frequently about Islamist terrorist attacks around the world. On Thursday, a new report claimed the president has his facts muddled. * *A joint project by the Investigative Fund at the Nation Institute, a nonprofit media center, and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting has found that within the past nine years, right-wing extremist...more »

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:45 P.M.) – Thus far the year of 2017 in the Syrian War has turned out to be the most militarily active and strategically mobile. In particular the war against ISIS in the last six months has witnessed some of the most breathtaking territorial advances between pro-government forces and the US-backed Syrian Democratic […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز

[image: pew-research-americans-getting-more-comfortable-with-firearm-ownership] Pew Research's new report says Americans are more and more comfortable with guns and gun ownership, and less and less enchanted with anti-gun laws.

[image: st-louis-cardinals-refuse-to-bow-to-lgbtq-pressure] The St. Louis Cardinals are refusing to bow to demands by homosexual activists that the team disinvite one of its former players as the keynote speaker for its July 30 “Christian Day.”

*FOX News*: *Trump says Comey-Mueller friendship 'bothersome'* President Trump on Friday called the investigation into allegations of Russia collusion and claims he obstructed justice “ridiculous” while saying special counsel Robert Mueller’s friendship with fired FBI Director James Comey “is very bothersome,” during a wide-ranging interview on “Fox & Friends” that also touched on his stalled legislative agenda and the health care debate. “Robert Mueller is an honorable man and hopefully he’ll come up with an honorable conclusion,” Trump said, though he noted that Mueller and Come...more »

A Thunderbird flipped at the Dayton international airport on Friday, June 23. Ty Greenlees/Staff Photographer *WHIO:* *Thunderbird F-16 plane flips on its top at Dayton Air Show* One pilot has reportedly been extricated and crews are working to extricate a second pilot. Toni Bankston, spokeswoman for city of Dayton issued a statement: “The City of Dayton is confirming an aircraft accident involving one of the acts scheduled to appear at the Vectren Dayton Airshow this weekend. There were 2 people on board. Airport Fire and Rescue are providing assistance at the scene. The airport...more »

*Yahoo News:* *Obama approved ‘cyber weapons’ in response to Russian attacks: report* In its final months, the Obama administration debated dozens of options to punish Russia for its cyber campaign to disrupt U.S. democracy, according to a new report. The Washington Post published a deeply sourced article Friday morning on former President Barack Obama’s secret campaign to make Moscow pay for attempting to influence and discredit last year’s presidential election. Last August, Obama received a report from the CIA that Russian President Vladimir Putin laid out specific instruction...more »

Shadowproof is teaming up with journalist and FOIA pro Ken Klippenstein to publish an important series on the FBI's dirty files. The post Help Us Expose The FBI’s Dirty Files appeared first on Shadowproof.

A young boy by the name of Landon Riddle was diagnosed with Leukemia back in 2012 at just two years old. He was given just a ten percent chance of even making it through the night, but he did. RELATED ARTICLE: Cannabis Oil is Gathering Unstoppable Momentum As A World Class Healer Landon underwent chemotherapy

Co-founder of online shopping giant, Alibaba, Jack Ma, has decided to invest $23 million of his own money in a huge chunk of land in the US Adirondack mountains, known as the Brandon Reserve. His long-term plan: to retire to the region. His short-term plan: stop the logging operations and preserve the country. RELATED ARTICLE:

I’m sure by now many of you saw the picture of Helen Mirren last week that made its way around the internet (I posted it to my Facebook page as well). The actress is 71 (and will turn 72 in July) and looks stunning. Back in 2014, the actress and Russian daughter of an exiled aristocrat

Based on birth certificate data, teen birthrates are dropping. In 2015, the teen birthrate hit a record low, dropping 8%. In 2014, the birthrate per 1000 teen girls (aged 15 to 19) fell to 22.3 births. Since 1991 there’s been a 64% decrease. The CDC is touting (as you can imagine) the success of birth

By Dr. Mercola Malabar spinach is an interesting alternative to regular spinach. It grows like a perennial jungle vine, and thrives in the summer heat when most other greens tend to turn bitter and dry, easily reaching heights of 10 to 35 feet in a season. Trained on a trellis, with frequent pruning, you can turn

Signatures were collected to put the death penalty on the 2016 Nebraska ballot. AP Photo/Nati Harnik Ending the death penalty in the United States won’t be easy. After death penalty abolitionists slowly pushed toward its elimination for years, supporters of state killing have mounted a fierce effort in the courts and at the ballot box and regained some lost ground. Perhaps their biggest victory was the presidential contest which put Donald Trump, an avid supporter of capital punishment, in the White House. But voting on ballot questions in California, Oklahoma and Nebraska also bro...more »

*Written by Grant G* "*What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive*" There has been much blather by corporate newspapers and BC Liberal pundits about Judith Guichon ordering a snap election rather than letting John Horgan and Andrew Weaver attempt to govern.. What I am about to say must be clearly heard by Judith Guichon and Craig James... We just had a provincial election(May 9th)....there is no indication that a snap election would yield a different result....most ridings were won with wide majorities...in fact there is only a half-dozen or so ridings(at thi...more »

*"Yes Mr. Putin, We Americans Have Lost Our Mind"* by James Howard Kunstler “Have you all lost your mind?” Vladimir Putin replied to one of Megyn Kelly’s thrusts about alleged Russian perfidy toward the US in the gala interview that debuted her new Sunday Night star-chamber on NBC. Old Vlad put his finger on something there. His view of the late goings-on in America is like that of the proverbial detached Martian observer of strange Earthly doings, rattling his antennae and clicking his mouth-parts in mirth. To which retort, by the way, one would have to answer, ”Yes, absolutely.” ...more »

*"Stockman Warns Of 'Huge Air Pocket * *Between Wall Street Fantasy & Economic Reality'"* by Craig Wilson "David Stockman joined Boom Bust to discuss the massive storm that is building and about to slam into Wall Street. During the discussion Stockman reveals what he believes is ahead for the stocks in the market and the economy. The interview began with the Boom Bust host asking the acclaimed author about his concern surrounding a government shutdown. David Stockman began “we’re in the midst of the biggest political train wreck in modern history. There will be no governance in Was...more »

*Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous, Washington Post*: *Obama’s secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin’s election assault* Early last August, an envelope with extraordinary handling restrictions arrived at the White House. Sent by courier from the CIA, it carried “eyes only” instructions that its contents be shown to just four people: President Barack Obama and three senior aides. Inside was an intelligence bombshell, a report drawn from sourcing deep inside the Russian government that detailed Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s direct involvement in a cyber campaig...more »

*Kris Osborn* *Security, * The USS Kennedy will replace the USS Nimitz which is due to retire by 2027. *HII ship developers have been employing a newer construction strategy for the Kennedy, involving a handful of techniques intended to lower costs and call upon lessons learned from the building of the first Ford-class carrier.* The 2nd US Navy Ford-Class high-tech aircraft carrier has grown 70-feet longer and is now 50-percent structurally complete with the addition of the lower stern, Huntington Ingalls Industries announced.​ “We are halfway through lifting the units onto t...more »

The victory is that they can take their lawsuit forward, not that they won it: Former Senator John Edwards Representing Thousands of United States Veterans Injured in Nuclear Disaster. Business Wire. (June 22, 2017). Available, http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170622006227/en/Senator-John-Edwards-Representing-Thousands-United-States Ninth Circuit Rules Sailors Will Get Their Day in U.S. Court RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the U.S. sailors who were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation assisting...more »

Whatever McConnell/Ryan/Trumpcare looks like in its final form, it will eviscerate Medicaid to give huge tax cuts to the rich. Greg Sargent notes that many Americans don't seem to know this: Cutting spending on the poor to facilitate a huge tax cut for the rich, in many ways, *is* the plan. But what if a large majority of Americans don’t have a clear sense that the plan even does this? A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll out today suggests this may be the case, which hints at a number of troubling things about where this debate is headed next. The Kaiser poll finds that only 38 per...more »

*Since I'm in a fightin' mood- Here's another aspect of the Syrian situation that seems to be mostly ignored by the 5 eyes main stream and so called alt media. I've mentioned the de facto no fly zone. Twice this week.* *flashback: **June 14th/17- Pacifying Raqqa: ‘Staggering loss of civilian life’ during US-backed siege of Raqqa – UN * *Link * * “The U.S. and U.S.-backed forces are using tactics that are virtually guaranteed to raise enormous levels of casualties,” in the war in Syria, IPS Middle East expert Phyllis Bennis told The Real News Network.In an effort to drive out ...more »

No, this post is not about some exotic new physics model predicting dark photons or other useless concoctions which physicists sometimes entertain with, in their frustration for the lack of guidance from experimental data of what really is it that the Standard Model is an effective theory of. For that kind of stuff, please wait and check out my blog at some other time. read more

Heavy damage is pictured on the US Navy missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald after it collided with a cargo ship near Japan early on Saturday morning *Washington Free Beacon*: *Freighter Was On Autopilot When It Hit U.S. Destroyer* USS Fitzgerald did not detect container ship The deadly collision between a U.S. destroyer and a container ship June 17 took place while the freighter was on autopilot, according to Navy officials. The Philippines-flagged cargo ship ACX Crystal was under control of a computerized navigation system that was steering and guiding the container vessel, accordi...more »

For the past 9 years, photographer Alexander Khimushin has been traveling the world, visiting 84 different countries. Three years ago, inspired by the idea of documenting remote cultures that are slowly disappearing due to globalization, he began his The World in Faces project. Seeking out small, ethnic minority groups around the world, Khimushin shoots incredible portraits that both honor and immortalize their culture. Over the past 6 months, Khimushin immersed himself in the Siberian landscape, traveling 15,000 miles alone behind the wheel of an SUV to track down, and photograp...more »

I woke up this morning and my e-mail box was filled with messages about this report, Rigged by Brett Murphy for *USA Today*. I had missed it when it ran a few days ago but. My correspondents were insistent it is a must-read. And it is. It’s worth reading in full— though probably not on a full stomach. Murphy started off with the story of an immigrant trucker, Samuel Talavera Jr., virtually a modern day American slave. Or does being paid make you *not* a slave… even if the pay is *67 cents a week*? One driver told Murphy that “We are not human. We are machines for making money for t...more »

*FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017Who is Linda Qiu:* Recently, the New York Times got into the fact-checking game. They were rather late to this trend. At present, their fact-check presentations are being done by Linda Qiu. We'll admit that we've occasionally thought her work falls short of the mark. This morning, Qiu has a high-profile FACT CHECK piece in the hard-copy Times. She fact-checks Donald J. Trump's recent speech, the one he gave Wednesday night. Qiu starts like this, hard-copy headline included: QIU (6/23/17): *An Adoring Crowd, And a Dozen Things That Aren't True* President T...more »

Published on Jun 22, 2017 “Can we bring Trump here?” he asked the crowd at the Glastonbury Festival. “I think he needs help,” he continued. “When’s the last time an actor assassinated a President?” he asked, referring to John Wiles Booth, who shot and killed Abraham Lincoln. Media analyst Mark Dice has the story. end […]

Emphasis mine: Hired Gun: Is War with Iran Now Inevitable Under New Saudi Crown Prince? by https://www.rt.com/ Israel and Washington seem to have been instrumental in the rise of Riyadh’s new leader, a hot-headed young royal who leaves a trail of havoc behind him. But can they control him? … It almost seems a fitting description […]

*Reuters: **Iraqi forces battle towards heart of Mosul's Old City* Iraqi forces battled their way along two streets that meet in the heart of Mosul's Old City on Friday, and said they aimed to open routes for civilians to flee Islamic State's last stand there. U.S.-trained urban warfare units are leading the fight in the maze of narrow alleyways of the Old City, the last district in the hands of the Sunni Islamist insurgents. Iraqi authorities are hoping to declare victory in the northern Iraqi city in the Muslim Eid holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, d...more »

Courtesy of WaPo: *Early last August, an envelope with extraordinary handling restrictions arrived at the White House. Sent by courier from the CIA, it carried “eyes only” instructions that its contents be shown to just four people: President Barack Obama and three senior aides. * *Inside was an intelligence bombshell, a report drawn from sourcing deep inside the Russian government that detailed Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s direct involvement in a cyber campaign to disrupt and discredit the U.S. presidential race. * *But it went further. The intelligence captured Putin’s s...more »

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I've been 'around' for a few years now, pursuing the shifting goal of a sharable home-made surfers resource site focused on ease of use and variety of mostly adult ( whoa : I didn't say prurient ) content.